Let’s Talk Some Trash 🗑️
How to Choose the Most Sustainable Garbage Bags (Yes, Really)
Okay friends, we need to talk trash. Specifically… the bags. This is something I’ve been wrestling with for A WHILE, so it’s time to unpack it.
If you’ve ever hovered in the store aisle or shopping online and debating between compostable, biodegradable, recycled, or whatever’s cheapest, you’re not alone. And even if you haven’t, read on. Trash bags can feel like a throwaway decision (pun intended), but they actually offer a sneaky opportunity to reduce waste before it heads to the landfill.
Let’s break it down.
🚮 First, Let’s Be Real: Most Garbage = Landfilled
Unless you’re collecting compost for processing through a curbside or industrial program, your trash is heading to the landfill. (We’re going to leave recycling out of this conversation.) And here’s the deal (that breaks my optimistic heart): compostable plastic bags do not break down in landfills. Landfills are low-oxygen environments where even banana peels can sit intact for decades (SUCH a bummer). So, using compostable bags for regular trash is not the answer.
♻️ Best Choice for Landfill-Bound Trash:
→ Repurpose a Bag
Before adding trash bags to your cart, ask:
Can I reuse something I already have?
Think chip bags, frozen food pouches, takeout packaging, mailing sleeves, bread bags or produce bags. If they’re likely destined for landfill anyway, give them one last use as a trash liner. It’s like a proper send-off.
Caveat: this isn’t me encouraging you to keep using single use plastic produce or shopping bags from the store — PLEASE convert to reusable for those! Think: items that ended up in your home more unavoidably.
And yes, still use and check out Ridwell’s rad plastics recycling service for all the excess, or even the store drop off bins (mixed feelings about these - usually only for clean, soft plastics - but do we really know where they end up?…)
Can I skip the liner entirely?
For less-messy areas like bathrooms or bedrooms, the answer is often yes. You can rinse out the can, if needed, instead of lining it every time.
→ Then, Recycled-Content Plastic Bags
If you must buy trash bags for your kitchen or large bins:
Choose ones made with post-consumer or post-industrial recycled plastic.
These bags repurpose old plastic, reduce demand for new petroleum, and perform just as well as virgin plastic bags.
Brand recs: Who Gives a Crap, Seventh Generation, and even some Target or store brands labeled with high recycled content.
🌱 Compost Bags = Only for Compost
This is my biggest takeaway, and personal learning during this rabbit hole research project:
Compostable bags should only be used for items that are actually being composted. (This applies to your dog poop bags, too.) It’s not going to harm anything if you use compostable bags for landfill-bound trash, but it’s not the best use of resources.
If your food scraps are going to an industrial composting facility (like through your city or a trash hauler program), compostable paper bags are best. They’ll either break down in the process or get pulled out with less environmental impact than plastic.
Compostable plastic bags? Only buy them if they’re required, and even then, look for BPI-certified brands.
TL;DR: The Mindful Trash Bag Guide
Skip virgin plastics!
Scenario Best Bag Option
Kitchen trash ✅ Recycled-content plastic bag
Food scraps (composted) ✅ Compostable bag (paper, then plastic)
Bathroom/low-mess bins ✅ Repurposed bag or skip the liner
This is a complex topic that I have spent more time thinking through than I’d like to admit. All we can do is keep learning and try our best to be loving stewards of this one planet we get to live on.
With less waste (and lots of love),
Ali